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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! - How to Entertain Holiday Guests
December 24, 2006
The week between Christmas and New Years is a great time to fish for striped bass, catfish, crappie, and bass on Lake Norman. Many people are on vacation, so try to get an early start. Lake access parking lots fill early and the better fishing holes will see plenty of anglers. Holiday weather varies from year to year with the timing of passing weather systems, but usually there are several nice days to be on the water.
For boat owners, fishing is easy. Tow the boat to the lake and enjoy great holiday fishing. Everyone is not so lucky. Many must fish from the shore, rent a boat, or find a guide or friend to go with.
For non-owners, public access to shoreline fishing is only permitted in a few locations. The Lake Norman State Park near Troutman, NC (704-528-6350) offers excellent fishing. Shoreline fishing is permitted on the small landlocked body of water known as Park Lake. In addition, the fishing pier, adjacent to the new swimming area, is open to the public on weekends during the winter months. Expect to catch bass, bream, catfish and crappie from the small lake, and don't be surprised if a striped bass tugs on your line when fishing from the pier. A freshwater fishing license is required when bank fishing. Licenses can be purchased at local tackle shops or on line twenty-four/seven at http://www.ncwildlife.org/.
Bank fishing is also permitted during certain times at the McGuire Nuclear Station off Highway 73 near Huntersville, NC and at the Marshall Steam Station off Highway 150 in Terrell, NC. Bass, catfish, perch and stripers are caught during the cooler months. Bottom fishing with cut bait, minnows and worms is effective in both locations.
Saltshaker Marine (704-892-5990) or Westport Marina (704-483-5172) have pontoon boat rentals and will be open during the holidays. The number of boats is limited, so don't wait until the last minute to reserve one. Pontoons make excellent fishing platforms and can accommodate large groups for fishing or cruising.
A fun way to kill a few hours on a chilly day is to visit the large freshwater aquarium at the Bass Pro Shops in the Concord Mills Mall. This live display features big bass, catfish, crappie and other fish native to area lakes. Enjoy the fish feeding presentations scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 12:00 noon on Thursday, and 2:00 p.m. each Saturday.
Upcoming Events:
The North Carolina Catfish Association Tournament Series' (NCCATS) winter meeting is at 7:00 p.m. on January 6, 2007 at the Boxcar Grille, I-40 - Exit 135, in Claremont, NC. For additional information, visit http://www.nccats.net/ or call Omar Edwards at 828-312-4486.
On January 17, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. join Captain Gus Gustafson at the Bass Pro Shops, Concord Mills Mall, to learn how to catch white perch in Lake Norman. For fast action and good eating the schooling white perch is hard to beat. Capt. Gus will show proven methods that will make your next trip the best ever. This 90 minute seminar is free and open to the public. Call 704-979-2200 for more information.
The Lake Norman Striper Swipers Open Winter Classic Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, January 27, 2007. Guaranteed first place prize $1500. This biggest one day striper fishing event of the season will be at Queen's Landing, Highway 150 in Mooresville, NC. For more information, visit http://www.lnssfishn.com/ or call Tommy Messick at 704-634-6410.
Tips from Gus: It's a good idea to stretch new line after loading it on the reel. This can be done by paying out 50 to 100 feet of line behind a slow moving boat and pulling it for a few minutes. The water pressure will remove all memory from the monofilament line and will reduce the risk of developing a bird's nest when casting.
The Hot Spot of the week are the areas in and around the two hot water discharge chutes where cold water temperatures have concentrated baitfish and where stripers and bass are feeding. The lake level is 96.4 or 3.4' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the low fifties. Fishing has been good to very good for stripers and bass.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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